GATON COUNTY, N.C. — According to a news release from the Town of Ranlo, an off-duty police officer was arrested and charged with first-degree murder early Sunday morning after a domestic disagreement.
Authorities say they were called to the area of Burlington Avenue and Spencer Mountain Road shortly before 2 a.m. Officer Kwaku Riley Agyapon, who had been off duty, was found at the site. Agyapon, also known as “Riley,” had allegedly been in a domestic altercation.
Police said that after Riley was stabbed many times, he fatally shot the attacker with his service firearm. According to the State Bureau of Investigations, a first-degree murder warrant has been issued for Agyapon following an investigation.
Riley, according to Ranlo Police Chief Jimmy Lunsford, is currently on unpaid administrative leave while an internal inquiry is conducted. Channel 9 was informed by the Ranlo Police Department that Officer Riley had only been with the force since August.
Glenn Counts, a seasoned crime reporter for Channel 9, visited the area and spoke with Riley’s ex-neighbor, who claimed she was astonished to hear the charges against Riley and has lost some respect for him as a result.
His next-door neighbour was “shocked, surprised” because “he was really easygoing, he was always polite, you know he chatted he had children and he took care of his kids, but I’m just blown away really,” the neighbour told Channel 9.
Neighbor Trevor Toodzieki said he was still trying to piece together what took place early on Sunday. Toodzieki remarked, “It just doesn’t make any sense to me because, like I say, the officers around here are normally quite friendly and very competent.”
Officials have stated that Riley is now being held in observation at CaroMont Health and will be transferred to the Gaston County jail upon his release. According to the investigators, they have examined those who were in the house at the time of the crime. There has been no update on the victim’s condition. This is a dynamic narrative. Don’t forget to return for further developments.
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